PORT ANGELES — Some 2,400 wreaths arrived in Port Angeles on Wednesday from Maine for wreath-laying ceremonies on Saturday as part of the National Wreaths Across America Day, while a separate ceremony is planned that day in Fort Worden.
The 22-inch live balsam wreaths from Maine were escorted through Sequim and into Port Angeles from the Jamestown Tribal Center in Blyn by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and Security Services Northwest, said Judy Tordini, regent for Michael Trebert Daughters of American Revolution (DAR) and Clallam County Wreaths Across America location coordinator.
Community members are invited to public wreath-laying ceremonies of 2,411 veterans’ wreaths at 14 locations from Gardiner Community Cemetery to Forks Cemetery.
Also on Saturday, the Admiralty Inlet Chapter of the DAR will lay wreaths at the Fort Worden Military Cemetery in Port Townsend at about 10 a.m., said Susan Taylor, regent of the chapter.
They will place wreaths for each of the major military branches as well as the Merchant Marines and POW/MIA at the flagpole at the cemetery in Fort Worden, she said, adding that the Port Townsend ceremony is not part of the one hosted by the DAR chapter in Clallam County.
Their wreaths also have come from Maine, Taylor said.
The 11 a.m. Saturday ceremony at Mount Angeles Memorial Park Cemetery, an official Wreaths Across America location, will include the Dungeness Composite Civil Air Patrol presenting flags, eight ceremonial service branch wreaths being placed by veterans themselves for each branch of the military plus POW/MIA, representation from Junior American Eagle youths, a rider-less horse salute, playing of taps and bagpipe music.
After a remembrance wreath is placed by the public, the veteran’s name will be said out loud and thanked for their service.
“Wreaths Across America reminds the public that a person dies twice, once when they take their last breath, and second when their name is spoken for the last time,” according to a press release.
Along with the Port Angeles event, a second public ceremony is set for Forks Cemetery at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Also set are wreath-laying events at: Blue Mountain Cemetery in Port Angeles at 9 a.m., Dungeness Cemetery in Sequim at 11 a.m., Gardiner Community Cemetery in Gardiner at 1 p.m. and Sequim View Cemetery in Sequim, also at 1 p.m.
Private wreath-laying ceremonies are scheduled at Jamestown S’Klallam Cemetery in Jamestown Pioneer Memorial Park in Sequim, Zaccardo Family Cemetery in Blyn and Oceanview Cemetery in Port Angeles.
Funds were raised throughout the year to sponsor the event, which was coordinated and led by the Michael Trebert chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and sponsorship groups Dungeness Composite Civil Air Patrol and Port Angeles High School NJROTC.
The Michael Trebert DAR Chapter has been cleaning and preserving veteran markers throughout the summer in preparation.
This is the fourth year of Wreaths Across America on the Peninsula.
Event organizers note that while veterans are often remembered at Memorial Day and Veterans Day, they are often forgotten during the holidays.
“This annual event seeks to further the yearlong mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom, ensuring that the memory of those who served our country endures,” organizers said.
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992.
The organization’s yearlong mission — Remember, Honor, Teach — is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at more than 3,700 veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and overseas.
